Abstract

Between 6 and 24 February 1967, an opportunitywas provided for zoologists from the TasmanianMuseum, Hobart and the Queen VictoriaMuseum, Launceston, to conduct a biological surveyin the Lake Pedder area, south-west Tasmania.The survey was conducted in three separate localitiestotalling about ten square miles in all. DuringOctober and November of the same year the LakePedder site was again visited by staff from theTasmanian Museum in two field trips of one weekeach.The areas are briefiy described physically andthe methods and results of the survey are outlined.The material collected is housed in eitherthe Tasmanian Museum or the LauncestonMuseum, the relevant specimen numbers beinggiven in the text.When compared with more fertile areas of thestate, the south-west area seems generally poor inboth numbers and species of mammals althoughalmost all indigenous Tasmanian groups are representedto some extent. The sparseness of theanimal fauna would seem to be indicated by thelow quality of the soils and vegetation and thefew varieties of habitat.A systematic list of the mammals collected isincluded, but owing to the short period of timeavailable in the area, no information regarding thestatus and distribution is available.